Member Reviews

This was such a fun, engaging thriller! A Paris setting (and other gorgeous European cities), tons of secrets, and a missing husband with a very mysterious past all make for a perfect fast-paced read. I know very little about art history and the world of embezzlement so I found those parts of the plot especially intriguing. I highly recommend this and any of Kimberly Belle's books for all thriller lovers, she is a great author for this genre. Thanks to Kimberly Belle, Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I enjoyed this mystery, and the story of Adam and Stella. Adam, Stella’s husband, is presumed dead in an explosion in Paris, making her a widow. But after the bombing, Stella learns Adam is not in the business he says he is, and is involved with selling illegal artifacts. In a book filled with twists and turns, Stella discovers the truth behind Adam’s business and the people working alongside him.

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Loved it!! I was hooked from the moment I started the book. I couldn't wait to find out what happened to Adam. There were so many twists and turns. I kept wondering what was really going on. Something really spooked Adam during the trip before they even made it to Paris. If Adam that they were in danger, why didn't they fly home sooner? Stella and Adam have so many secrets. Not little ones, but huge, dangerous ones. It seems Adam knew more about Stella than she thought, which makes their first meeting a bit creepy. After the bomb explosion, all of Stella's actions and decisions are the exact opposite of any normal person who values their life. She had no regards for her own safety. Nothing fazed her. She voluntarily went to a dangerous person's house. She trusted people she didn't even know and believed everything that he/she told them. Stella was extremely lucky to have an ex-boyfriend like Sully and to have Mustafa following her around. Loved everything about the book until the ending. Wouldn't there still be dangerous people out there looking for revenge? Can you really hide forever and not be recognized?

Definitely recommend the book. It's a great mystery/thriller. the book kept me guessing until the very end. Loved the characters, story and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin Trade Publishing , through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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This was such a good read! I was enthralled from the beginning and couldn’t wait to find out what was going on with Adam. I loved travleing around Europe throughout this book. I figured out a small twist but it didn’t make the plot any less enjoyable as I was reading. Stella was a fascinating MC who I could easily identify with - my nosy self would need some answers before leaving. Belle writes a thrilling plot that will have you questioning how well you can know someone.

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You can never go wrong with Kimberly Belle's books. She writes great thrillers with twists and turns that you never saw coming, and you're always in for a magnificent ride!

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This was certainly an edge of your seat thriller!
It’s fast paced, full of twists and turns. Lots of secrets come out. You won’t be able to put it down.
Definitely recommend

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Stella and her husband of four years, Adam, have spent the past few days in Paris at the tail end of a three week long dream vacation visiting multiple European countries. Mere hours before their flight home to the U.S., an explosion rocks a city square and Adam goes missing. In the aftermath of the explosion, a panicked Stella desperately searches for her husband until she's contacted by the police who inform her that Adam was dealing in rare and stolen antiquities on the black market. Even more shocking - the police believe that Adam was the target of the explosion. Wanting to prove her husband's innocence, Stella refuses to leave Paris until she finds out what happened to him but if the police are right about Adam's business dealings then she might be the next target.

Narrared by Stella in the present timeline in Paris and Adam in flashbacks to the previous stops on their vacation, The Paris Widow is a fast-paced, suspenseful story about secrets as well as the black market for art and antiquities. An added bonus was the beautiful settings around Europe (Paris in the present with flashbacks to Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Malta). It's a twisty read that I couldn't put down and it left me guessing until the final few pages. This was my first time reading this author and I'll definitely read more from her. The perfect thriller for summer reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

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A couple travelling through Europe , Stella and Adam are on their last day in Paris. Adam goes back to the cafe to retrieve his sunglasses and Stella continues on to return to their hotel to get their belongings before checking out.
She hears an exlplosion coming from the direction of the cafe.
She learns an explosive device was set off at the cafe and her husband is un accounted for,
He is later determined to have died in the explosion.
She learns that he has been under surveillance for the past year dut to his questionable business practices. He's made most of his money by dealing in looted and stolen artifacts,
Their home in Atlanta will be searched to see if it contains some of these artifacts too,
She determines not to go home until she can clear his name.
She is in danger too because his enemies will go after her,

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read this fun and exciting thriller. The book centers on Stella, who has joined her husband Adam in Europe at the end of his work trip, as they vacation after. They are in Paris and about to leave to go home. After they agree to meet back at the hotel when he goes back to retrieve sunglasses he left at a restaurant, an explosion goes off. As Stella attempts to find, Adam and the police inform her that he is not only missing but was the possible target for the explosion because of a dark underground market that he husband was possibly a part of. The more questions Stella asks and tries to uncover, the more she is in danger.
The book was fun and relatively easy to follow. It was quick-paced and full of suspense. I enjoyed Stella navigating Paris, both the tourist areas and dangerous aspects. The descriptions of the antiques were vivid and interesting.
The characters were complex but still likable. I think the only thing I wanted was a little more explanation with the ending. It felt like the pacing and flow went well until the ending, and then it felt rushed.
Otherwise I really enjoyed it and would recommend it.

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This book stars off with a literal bang 💣 and doesn’t really stop … traveling through some of the most amazing places in Europe in flashbacks, our Paris Widow searches for her husband and get entangled in his secret life … with lost of unexpected turn of events along the way . A hard to put down thriller !

4.5 ⭐️

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The Paris Widow by Kimberly Belle is a fast-paced cat-mouse thriller.

Husband and wife, Stella and Adam are traveling across Europe together. When a bombing at a Cafe results in her husband's presumed death, Stella must unravel the mess that is left behind.

A novel full of adventure, embezzlement and high stakes. A must-read for your summer thriller list.

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The Paris Widow by Kimberly Belle is a fast paced mystery about Stella who is visiting Europe with her husband Adam when a bomb goes off in the cafe where Adam had returned to retrieve a lost item. As Stella works to learn the details about what happened to Adam she uncovers much more than she bargained for!

This is the first book by Kimberly Belle that I have read and I really enjoyed it. It is fast paced and kept me guessing about how things would go throughout the story. I found the art history and artifact aspect very interesting and unique as well. I will definitely read future Kimberly Belle books and will be adding her backlist to my t0-read list as well!

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I really enjojyed this thriller/suspense by Kimberly Belle! For fans of Shari Lapena, Laura Dave (The Last Thing He Told Me), and Liane Moriarty, this book focuses on Stella and her antiquities dealer/restoration artist Dave. When their dream European vacation ends in tragedy, Stella is thrown into a world of fear and worry as she begins a desperate search for answers. After an explosion rocks the streets, Dave is now both the subject of an investigation to find his body and of alleged criminal activity by French police. Stella is sure that French authorities must be mistaken. Her husband is quiet, "nerdy" in his antiques dealings, but skilled in obtaining architectural pieces to rescue and restore to be used in redecorating and construction. By all accounts, she cannot reconcile this man who saves moldings, doorknobs, and cornices with the dangerous criminal mastermind she is being told he truly is. Stella's refusal to let go of her picture of him and her determination to find out what has happened to him fuels her quest into a much darker world and we learn that Stella has her own past and her own secrets.

While there were no huge twists, the twists in the book were satisfying and not overdone. The Paris Widow is a great summer read, easy to get into, as it throws the reader right into the action pretty quickly and hooks you from the start. I found it to be a quick read and was a definite page-turner for me. I liked Stella and was rooting for Dave, despite the doubts cast upon him.

Many thanks to NetGalley,, Park Row, and Kimberly Belle for an advanced copy of this book and for the opportunity to read and review it.

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I really enjoyed this book! It was suspenseful, fast paced, and gripping. The author tied everything up really well which I love. I don’t want to be left with a million questions after finishing a gripping book.

Thank you Kimberly Belle, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC!

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Like something you’d see on the news happening and be drawn into knowing “what happened and why”. In a marriage where both hold secrets and a past, was the love real? A trip through Europe and the black market of stolen and lost antiquities
Thank you NetGalley and TM Harlequin Enterprises for the ARC!

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Adam tells the story of what happened before the bomb went off and Stella tells the after- when she's searching for answers about Adam. Set in Paris, this is a twisty tale about a couple who has kept big secrets from one another. They've been together for four years but are only now on their honeymoon-and they clearly haven't spent enough time together. Was Adam dealing in blood antiquities? That's not really the question. And what secrets is Stella, a former flight attendant, hiding? She's got contacts most of us wouldn't so she's able to dig in to discover whether Adam is still alive (among other things). She's the better character for sure and one you might both recognize and root for. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. No spoilers from me.

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This mystery is fast paced and exciting. When Stella and Adam are in Paris, an unexpected explosion results in Adam’s disappearance. As police investigate it is revealed that Adam was involved in a stolen antique business and was involved with many unsavory characters. Could he have been targeted by a criminal business partner or was the blast an accident. Stella stays in Europe and tries to uncover the truth about Adam’s disappearance. Told in alternate POVs, I found Stella’s character more interesting and well developed but the story was interesting and kept me guessing. Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy. 3.5⭐️

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I really enjoyed this one!! The pacing was stellar and i liked the plot a lot. Would read this author again.

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Stella and Adam are spending a romantic weekend in Paris, after travelling through Europe in pursuit of European antiques to be sold to Americans back home. Both are world travellers. Adam as an antique dealer and Stella a former flight attendant. When a bomb goes off and Adam goes missing, Stella is given information which makes her question the husband she thought she knew. She is forced to rely on friends from her former flight attendant days to try to locate him.
A fast-paced spy thriller with international gangsters, espionage, terrorists and more. A great vacation read to keep you on the edge of your plane seat...

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4.5⭐️
Such an entertaining read!
Stella and Adam are enjoying their day in Paris. After leaving his sunglasses at the cafe and running back to get them… BOOM 💥 there’s an explosion.
Stella runs back and can’t find him anywhere. Adam is missing…
The police think her husband is dealing with stolen artifacts. After initially thinking it’s a terrorist attack, Stella learns she may not truly know her husband and a mystery unfolds.
A cat and mouse story that goes back to how they first met, to weeks before the explosion and now. A fast paced thriller with twists you won’t see coming!

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